


Right Hand Man

by Tedronai



Category: Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 04:18:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8953420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tedronai/pseuds/Tedronai
Summary: The histories may say that Mazrim Taim stood at the Lord Dragon's right hand, but there are things the history books don't mention.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hoarmurath](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoarmurath/gifts).



> UAF Secret Santa gift to [hoarmuraths](http://hoarmuraths.tumblr.com) on Tumblr.   
> ...Well. Happy commercial winter holiday of choice! :'D

Rand had to admit that somehow, despite knowing the fate of male channellers — namely that none of them lived very old — he had still expected Taim to be… well, older. A former false Dragon who had commanded armies in battle and had Lord Bashere all but beaten when the vision of Rand in the sky over Falme had put a stop to his conquest — Rand had to admit, feeling a little silly, that he had expected somebody resembling more Bashere himself.

That thought was nothing short of hilarious now, Rand reflected idly as he approached the farm, but he kept any amusement from showing on his face. Taim could be prickly as a cactus if he thought he was being made fun of, and Rand really didn’t want to start the encounter by having to explain what it was that he found so funny.

The farmhouse looked better each time Rand visited; it had been thoroughly repaired, as well as the barn which stood now a great deal straighter than just weeks ago. The handful of men remaining from the twenty seven initially tested by Taim looked different, too, though the differences were more subtle there. Learning that you could channel had that effect on men. And Taim himself…

Well. Taim was Taim. He wore a coat fit for a nobleman despite the unrelenting heat; in fact he barely seemed to notice the scorching sun, and the contrast between him and the students couldn’t have been more dramatic. By all rights Taim should have looked out of place in the dusty farmyard but instead, if anything it was the farmyard that looked out of place. Taim stood with his right hand curled in a fist behind his back, gesturing almost casually with the left as he directed the students before him.

Rand knew he had been noticed — Taim’s eyes flickered briefly in his direction — but the former false Dragon didn’t acknowledge his presence in any way. The students did; they cast nervous glances in his direction, their concentration clearly scattered to the four winds, but as Taim was still speaking, none dared to stop trying to listen.

Taim let it go on for another excruciatingly awkward minute before stopping abruptly, not quite mid-sentence but regardless giving the impression of being interrupted. He turned to Rand, a wry almost-smile twitching his lips. “You’re distracting my students,” he said. “My Lord Dragon.”

Rand kept his voice neutral when he replied, “Maybe it’s time for a break, if they’re this easily distracted.”

“Perhaps.” Taim turned back to his students, gesturing sharply. “Dismissed! Back to your chores! Lessons will continue tomorrow!” He flashed another one of his almost-smiles at Rand as he turned on his heels and started off towards the farmhouse. “Wine? I have a bottle of Altaran red, an excellent vintage.”

Rand shook his head slightly as he followed the other man; _of course_ Taim would have made sure he had quality wines to offer distinguished guests. Rand was relatively sure he was the only such guest ever to venture to the farm…

 

Once they were in the room that Taim seemed to have turned into his office, Taim poured wine and handed one glass to Rand. It seemed almost like there should have been servants doing such things for him, though of course there had never been servants at the farm; the mere idea was ludicrous. Taim gestured at one of the chairs, and waited for Rand to sit before taking a seat himself.

“You are well, I trust?” the former false Dragon asked, then added after a brief pause, “My Lord Dragon.”

Rand gave him an incredulous look. “I’m well enough,” he said. “And whatever you’re really after, Taim, out with it. We don’t exactly do small talk, do we?”

“You do not, perhaps,” Taim replied wryly. He raised the glass to his lips and took a sip before continuing. “I wonder, is that also how you deal with the nobles of the courts you now rule? An order after order, without as much as a good day?” He took one look at Rand’s face and shook his head in exasperation. “You do, don’t you. Why am I even surprised.”

“They don’t need to like me, Taim,” Rand said. “They just need to do as I say.” Before Taim could say anything, he went on, in a flash of temper, “You don’t need to like me, either.”

“Just do as you say?” Taim said, clearly amused. “I see. And, for the record, if you’re going out of your way to be unlikeable, you are doing a fair job of it. My Lord Dragon,” he added with a small, almost mocking bow. “However, I am not so easily deterred.”

That didn’t seem to make any sense. After a moment’s indecision he had to ask. “What do you mean?”

Taim came as close to smiling as Rand had ever seen him. “Why, only that — despite your best efforts, no doubt — I don’t dislike you.” He channelled to pour himself another glass of wine, then floated the bottle towards Rand. “More wine, my Lord Dragon?”

Mildly stunned, Rand held out his glass without a word. This was not a direction he’d expected the conversation to take and suddenly another glass of wine sounded like a great idea, if only to save him from having to think of something to say. He was keenly aware of Taim watching him, the look in his black eyes intense though his posture remained deliberately casual, and it was clear as day that there was more being communicated than seemed apparent but Rand wasn’t sure what it could be.

“Should I, er, double my efforts?” Rand asked eventually when he couldn’t bear the charged silence any longer.

“If that’s what you want,” Taim replied with an eloquent shrug. “Though you needn’t go to the trouble. If you’re not interested, I shan’t broach the subject again.”

Wait… Interested? Interested in what? Being liked?

_…Oh._

Rand shook his head slowly. “I didn’t say I wasn’t interested,” he said, watching Taim carefully to gauge his reaction for any signs he’d misinterpreted the other man’s words after all. When it seemed that he had not, he went on with more confidence. “I just never thought you might be. I mean, why would you be, anyway? Are you sure you don’t just like the idea of being with the Dragon Reborn? Don’t take this the wrong way, Taim, but… you wouldn’t be the first one to try to influence me by throwing themselves into my bed.” Though Taim might be the first one to succeed, Rand had to admit that much if only to himself.

Taim didn’t reply immediately, choosing his words with care. “I won’t lie and say that I don’t care about you being the Dragon Reborn. If you weren’t, we would have likely never met, and I’d have no reason to be talking to you right now.” Then his voice turned wry. “But I am not quite so shallow as to chase after you based on title alone.”

“No,” Rand said, “I suppose you aren’t.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Forgive me. Sometimes I find myself doubting everything and everybody, including myself.”

“There’s nothing to apologise for.” Then Taim set his glass aside and stood up. “We can continue this conversation later if you wish. I should get back to my students, and I’m sure you have somewhere to be as well.”

Rand chuckled. “I usually do.” There was never enough time, though he swore that he would find the time to come back to finish this conversation. For now, though, Taim was probably right; he needed to figure out what exactly he thought before he could try to communicate it to Taim. Rand stood up as well, but he didn’t open a gateway back to Caemlyn right away. There was a part of him that didn’t want to just leave like that, but he had no idea how to proceed.

Taim noticed his hesitation and took the matters into his hands. He closed the distance between them, watching Rand carefully, giving him the chance to back away and when he didn’t, Taim leaned in to kiss him. It was little more than a light brush of lips, but that was probably for the best; Rand did have somewhere to be, he couldn’t allow himself to be distracted here for much longer. That didn’t mean he couldn’t entertain the idea.

“Go on,” Taim said in a low voice. “Go and be the Lord Dragon. And come back when you can.”

Rand nodded. “I will.”


End file.
